Even the Strongest Fall
by Juud18
Summary: After a rescue, that could've gone better, Scott Tracy has some things on his mind. He reacts rather badly on them, allowing Virgil and Jeff Tracy to see a different side of him. :Angsty Scott:


**Thunderbirds are GO!**

**--FIXED!--**

**-Don't read if you don't like an angsty Scotty ruining your good mood :P I just wanted explore a side of Scott that he only shows when he can't keep it in anymore. Don't get all mad and kill me if you don't like it or if it's to out of character for you :S **

**-About the 'verse, it could be movie or tv wise. I like both versions :D The movie was pretty cool, even though it didn't really have it's facts straight :( The guys were cute though xD. But, it would be a couple of years into the future, especially if you read it movie universe. You'll know what I mean when you read the story ;)**

**I decided to fix this, since my writing improved a lot since I started posting here, and I hope it's a little better then the last version.**

**But anyway, I'll stop ranting and get on with the story :P**

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Juud18

♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂

Bloodied, scratched and muddy, Scott Tracy was a sight to behold. The latest rescue hadn't been quite a success. Sure, they rescued most of the people in the end, but lives had been claimed.

His slightly younger brother, Virgil Tracy -dragging his feet behind Scott- smiled ruefully. The rescue had sure been a doozy. It had been filthy, muddy and the casualty count -higher then ever- put a bigger dampener on the post-rescue relaxation.

Virgil looked at his older brother -who halted abruptly- and found himself staring at him. Virgil hadn't really looked at Scott since they came back. Only a quick skim over him to see if he was okay. Today was one of the rare occasions Scott had to step in, instead of standing on the side giving orders. They needed all the hands they could get and Scott pitched in almost immediately. The underlying motive for him was that he could keep an eye on his brothers in the field **and** he could help with the rescue..

Looking closely at Scott, Virgil wished he had done it before. The Tracy heir was pale, staring at something ahead and trembling all over, covered in mud, sporting spots of dried blood of the victims he rescued that were less lucky, scratches on his skin and tears in his pale blue uniform. Not that Virgil looked any better but Scott looked a hell of a lot worse if his face and behaviour was anything to go by..

"Scott?" Virgil tried. The blank look on Scott's face worried Virgil. Scott's normally clear blue eyes were clouded over, dull looking. _Delayed shock maybe? _Virgil wondered._ What could have brought that on?_

"Virg?" The way Scott said his name, confirmed it for Virgil, that something was definitely wrong. Scott swayed where he stood, and if he hadn't been pale gray in the face already, he surely would've been now. Virgil quickly grabbed him before he could take a tumble and slid an arm around his waist.

"Come on, Scott.." Virgil muttered, tapping his brothers pale cheek. Scott barely responded. He blinked, and seemed to focus on Virgil, but nothing else happened. Virgil wasn't satisfied with the response, so he turned Scott around and pushed him to his room.

"Come on, old man.." Virgil teased. "You have a date with the cold shower!" Virgil was surprised that Scott didn't answer. Usually Scott would smartmouth someone right back when a joke was made about his age.. Something was terribly wrong with Scott..

Virgil lifted Scott's hand, and made him enter his code to his room. Almost lazily, Scott did what he was supposed to do, and the second eldest Tracy marched him straight into the bathroom, and straight under the showerhead.

Virgil wondered where Scott was in his mind, he didn't even do a thing to stop Virgil when he mercilessly turned on the cold tap. Only when the cold water hit him did he respond.. And how. .

"Let me go!! Turn it off!!" He yelled as the cold water soaked trough his dirty, muddy clothes and scratched skin. So much for the shock setting in; Virgil thought, grinning inwardly.

He turned on the hot tap and made it just right for Scott to stand under without freezing. Scott sagged against the wall and just enjoyed warming up for a few seconds. His eyes were closed and a sigh escaped him.

"Take a shower, Scott." Virgil said, deciding Scott needed some time alone. "Wouldn't want grandma to see you messing up the carpet." Virgil added, smiling. Scott laughed, but somehow, and to Virgil's dismay, it didn't reach his vibrant blue eyes.

"She's gonna kill you when she sees those tears in your uniform." The Thunderbird 2 pilot added as an afterthough. This time, only a slight smile was his answer. He sighed as he left his older brothers bathroom and bedroom, shaking his head.

Scott watched him leave. The smile fell of his face, and a frown appeared. He reached for the hem of his uniform shirt and stripped it off. Then he threw it towards the laundry pile. He proceeded to do the same with his boots, pants and underwear, and groaned loudly when he found that the mud had managed to even get there.. It this wasn't the messiest rescue he had ever participated in, he didn't want to participate in one even messier.

He washed thoroughly, but he couldn't keep his head with it. Biting his lip, he remembered certain things he had rather forgotten. He was barely able to contain the emotions raging inside him, the guilt, the sorrow, the anger. It took every inch of his self control to keep them in, to not punch the tiles and let it all go..

He quickly finished showering and dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He was hardly in the mood to dress properly. His mind wasn't with it. He didn't have to look his best all the time anyway.

He glanced at the clock on his bedroom wall, and noticed it was dinnertime. That was just what he needed...

_**Not..**_

Scott shook his head and then scrubbed his face with both hands. He was gonna have to do some great acting if he was going to get past his brothers and father. Lately, he noticed he was getting too good at it. He couldn't figure it that was a good sign, or a bad one.

Dragging himself to the dining-room, just short of a thundercloud forming above his head, he was dismayed to find all the others already sitting at the table, glancing at him when he came in.

"What?" He pretty much growled, causing his family to stop looking at him. He sighed and shuffled to the empty seat beside Virgil and Tin-Tin. Maybe he could just blame everything on being tired. It wouldn't be a complete lie..

He caught Virgil looking at him worriedly, and pulled on his own so called reigns when he threatened to snarl at his brother. If he was going to growl at his brothers they would know something was wrong, he didn't want to draw that attention..

"What's up, Virg?" he muttered pleasantly instead.

Virgil just smiled and thanked his grandmother when she gave him a plate with food on it. Scott was supplied with a plate as well, and he heard his stomach growl loudly in response. The whole family looked at him incredulous.

"Guess I was hungrier then I thought.." Scott muttered. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. He had lost his appetite about half way in the rescue..

"No kidding, man." Alan muttered from beside Tin-Tin.

After a few minutes, the brothers forgot about Scott, and the family dug into their food. The arguing, laughing and eating started, as was usual in the family. Gordon was telling his father and Virgil about a prank he pulled on Scott once, Tin-Tin and Alan (the first married Tracy) were laughing and smiling, and Scott..

Though Scott had been hungry, he was playing with his food more, then eating it. He tried one bite but it had stuck in his throat, and no matter how much water he drank, it was still there. No one really noticed he was miserable.. For that, Scott was relieved. He didn't like drawing attention when he had a problem. Solving the problems of his brothers, fine, but his own? He couldn't handle his own. He didn't want to handle them.. He couldn't stop and solve them, he had to keep going for his brothers. He just shoved them aside and hoped they would stay down, it worked before in the military, and god knows what happened over there..

Tin-Tin noticed Scott wasn't bantering or arguing along, and hardly touched his food. She was about to call him upon it, when Alan poked her in the side, and stole her attention. She smiled when she realized what he wanted.

"Ehm, guys?" Alan started, trying to get attention of his older brothers and his father. They fell silent and looked at Alan as he reeled in Tin-tin to put his arm around her shoulders.

"Tin-Tin?" Alan inquired, looking at her.

Tin-tin blushed and as she looked at Alan lovingly, she said clearly:" We're gonna have a baby.."

The whole family burst out cheering and in congratulations. Gordon hooting and even silent Johnny cheering like a madman. Even Scott managed to drag up enough enthusiasm to hug Tin-tin, slap Alan on the back brotherly and congratulate them.

He truly was happy for Alan and Tin-Tin, he could almost imagine having the first little Tracy-brothers offspring running around. A small girl, with Tin-Tin's dark hair, and Alan's crystalblue eyes.

Scott stopped short in the chaos that was his celebrating family.. Scott stared sightlessly at the middle of the table.

That kid... that kid he'd tried to save...

_Damn..._

Everything around him seemed to slow down. His throat closed up, making it hard for him to draw a decent breath. Emotions threatened to spill over again, and he hardly realized his breathing was speeding up.

God... He thought. _When will I stop thinking about the girl?_

Scott's heart felt like it would burst when he looked at his brothers. The joy on their faces. He couldn't get the little face out of his thoughts.. He felt sick with it.

Pushing away his barely touched plate laden with dinner, he stood and excused himself.

Trembling slight, he was standing at the sink of the -from the dining room separated- kitchen seconds later, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to control his breathing and his stomach. It was rebelling fiercely. Even the few bites of dinner he had managed to eat were heavy on his stomach.

His stomach won out eventually,- despite his best efforts-, and trying to stay quiet, he lost his meager dinner in the sink.

When the heaving finally stopped, he wiped his mouth and drank some water to rid himself of the bitter taste in his mouth. He never really liked throwing up, it made him feel even more sick. He leaned over the sink a few counts longer, not trusting himself to stand straight just yet.

"Is something wrong, Scott?" A voice came from behind him, startling him.

Scott swiveled around so fast his head spun. He saw Virgil standing in the door opening, while he held his heart, in the ill hope it would stop trying to jump out of his chest.

"Virgil?! God, you surprised me there..." The darkhaired man muttered. He leaned against the counter for support. "Why would there be something wrong? I'm fine."

The innocent routine didn't work. Scott sighed as he saw the look in on Virgil's face. Virgil knew something was wrong, it was too late to act like nothing was wrong..

"You don't exactly sound fine to me. Tell me, as soon as Alan and Tin-tin said they were gonna have a kid you practically ran off." Virgil explained.

"I was just thinking..." Scott said, glancing at the wall.

"I know.. It's hard to see them together, so happy. It's hard to be happy for them when you can't have the same without worrying that your lover will spill IR's secrets." Virgil muttered, unknowingly missing the real reason Scott didn't feel okay.

The older man's gaze shot up to meet that of his younger brother. He considered giving his brother the slip and making him think that was what troubled him, but decided that wasn't fair to him. The eldest Tracy brother always wanted the truth from them, so they deserved the truth from him when they asked for it..

"No! No, that's not it..." he quickly said, looking at Virgil with wide blue eyes. "Well, that has been on my mind a few times but.. No.." His gaze wandered again and Virgil ventured into the kitchen to open a cabinet.

The other man stared at the ground, looking intently at a fresh stain on the tiles that suddenly appeared to be interesting. His mind was everywhere except in the present, which was probably the reason why, again, Virgil managed to startle him.

He was holding a glass filled with amber liquid below his nose. Scott gazed at his younger brother questioningly, but all he said was:" Don't tell dad that I nicked his fine Scotch, you just look like you could use it..." Virgil grinned, and Scott managed a real smile.

"I look that bad huh?" Scott joked, accepting the glass. Taking a swig, he coughed as the strength of the drink hit the back of his throat. He had fully intended on making his throat burn like that, just to prove to himself he could still feel. He felt like his heart had been ripped out..

"Easy, man. It's not gonna run away you know.." Virgil muttered worriedly, slapping his coughing brother on the back.

"I know.." Scott said hoarsely. "I just needed that.."

Virgil looked at him, and was worried by what he saw. Scott looked exhausted and haunted, but there was something else in his dull blue eyes, that he couldn't place. It wasn't a good sign when Virgil found something he couldn't identify, he knew his brother from top to bottom, knew what drove him, and what made him tick.. The fact that something was new to Virgil worried him.

"What's wrong then?" He asked softly, while pouring himself a drink.

Scott didn't answer Virgil's concerned question right away. Instead, he took another sip of the strong amber fluid.

"It's nothing..." Scott said finally. His trembling hands proved otherwise, but maybe he could still back out.

"Scott.." Virgil sounded warning, as if scolding one of his younger brothers. Scott didn't answer. He stared at the floor sightlessly, swirling the scotch in his glass absentmindedly. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, making him dizzy.

"Scott.. Come on.." Virgil pleaded, "It's me.. You can confide in me, you know that.."

Scott took another sip and leaned heavily against the counter behind him. It was probably gonna take a lot more alcohol before he would willingly open up. He considered blowing Virgil off, but realized the younger man wasn't giving up. He had showed too much of how he felt for the man to give up. He knew it was only fair that Virgil was riding him that hard, since Scott would do the same when one of his brothers had a problem.

"Would you mind stepping outside? On to the balcony?" Scott asked, looking up. He was in sudden need of fresh air. The kitchen was getting too small for his taste. He felt as if the walls were closing in on him. He was a breath short of being claustrophobic, but he didn't like tight spaces. IR didn't make it any better either.

Virgil nodded and waved his arm to the door leading away from the dining-room, to the lounge. Scott took his glass with him, and saw from the corner of his eye that Virgil took the bottle of fine Scotch with him. It appeared to have been full before they had started on it. _Dad's gonna have a fit when he realizes we already drank a quarter of it.._

Leaning against the railing on the balcony, Scott looked out over the woods on the Island. Beyond lay the unending sea. It never ceased to amaze him how they had ended up here. Merely because his father realized his dreams, brought to light by his wife's unfortunate death. For that, Scott kept going. To help his father, and save the people that were in danger of loosing a loved one too. If anyone knew how bad it hurt, it was the Tracy family..

Scott heard Virgil behind him exit the house to step onto the balcony, but didn't turn around to face him.

"More Scotch?" Virgil asked, coming out to stand at the railing beside him.

Scott nodded and held out his glass, which Virgil filled to the rim. He knew full well that Scott couldn't hold his Scotch,-other drinks he managed fine- but only with the help of a few shots, would the emotions get out to be sorted. Instead of getting stuffed in the deepest corners of Scott's mind, waiting to come out rather violently. He remembered the last time they had a huge fight that ended up in the pool, Scott crying softly while the smell of Scotch hung around him.

Sometimes he drank more then a few shots, but he usually stopped in time, not wanting to walk around with the hangover. Only once, had Scott been on a real drinking binge, apparently determined to get so drunk, he couldn't see, let alone think straight. He had accomplished that goal quite nicely, but the next day, he had suffered for it.

He muttered his thanks when Virgil finished pouring the drink, and took a quick swig, swallowing it calmly. This proved the alcohol was already settling in.

"Now tell me, what happened?" Virgil asked Scott, as he refilled his own glass and took a small sip, unlike his brother. It was important that he stayed sober, to catch the blow that was to come.

Scott shook his head. He didn't feel like talking. He took another swig of the Scotch, and closed his eyes against the lightheadedness.

"What's your problem, Scott?" Virgil asked a little more sternly. It started to look like he had to force Scott a little. Scott was such a damn menace when it came to talking. He never wanted to expose his own problems, yet he always bitched, complained and sympathized until his victim -a suffering brother- would collapse under the weight of the loving eldest and spilled everything.

"You know... These rescues, what if some day, it's one of you guys?" Scott muttered after swallowing another swig of Scotch.. What he just said wasn't what was bothering him right now, but the idea had had his gut in knots since day one and it was related in a way..

Virgil didn't seem to have an answer. But hell, how could you answer such a question? Promising they would be alright was hardly possible. Accidents were always happening, life and fate were a bitch in that department. Mortality was an issue for IR as well, they rescued, but they weren't immortal. They always joked about who would buy it first, but underneath were signs that every brother worried about that one day, someone would really leave them for good..

Scott chuckled thickly before muttering:" Sorry, I managed to upstage my problem.."

"How so?" Virgil asked, actually glad that Scott had changed the subject on his own. He didn't want to worry about his brothers dying. He'd handle that when.., **if** it happened.

"What **is** your problem?" Virgil asked carefully. He put his glass down on a table beside them and placed his hand gently on Scott's shoulder. He was faintly surprised when the older man flinched. Scott grabbed on to his glass so tightly, his fingers went white and the glass cracked. Virgil knew he was getting closer to the problem..

"After today, I'm starting to wonder if it was such a good setting up International Rescue. I mean, it's great and all that we manage to save lives, but my sanity hasn't gotten any better on it. And..." Scott seemed to have trouble getting the next sentence out. He drained his half full, cracked glass, and leaned on the balcony railing. "I feel as if today, someone took my heart and buried it beneath that mudslide." He finally admitted.

His mind took him back to the rescue, and he witnessed it all over again, a look of anguish crossing his face as it played out.. An innocent little bystander -just barely five years old- had left the window of her room open and the mud had streamed straight in, burying her underneath it. It caused her to inhale a good amount when she started to run out of air. By the time Scott had reached and unburied the girl, her injuries were too severe, and the mud in her lungs was clogging her airway, making it impossible for the girl to breathe.

Scott's anger and guilt finally got the best of him. After reigning it in for so long, it was too strong now to keep it in. He felt it running trough his arteries, begging him to take it out on something. His hands started to shake. He grabbed his glass tighter, until it broke in his hand with a sharp snap. He hardly felt the glass bite his hand as the adrenaline of his anger rushed trough his veins.

He sought for something else, his rage still not satisfied, and found Virgil's glass on the table. He grabbed it, and hurled it towards the wall beside the balcony door, howling loudly in despair and pain like a wounded animal.

Falling to his knees with the momentum, he was faintly aware of someone calling his name, Virgil's glass shattering in a million crystalline pieces against the wall, spilling Scotch and a new arrival standing in the opening of the balcony door, barely avoiding the shards.

He was sobbing too loud to hear. Squeezing his eyes to tightly too see. Clenching his hands too hard to feel. The outer world was irrelevant at the moment. Someone could do anything to him at this moment of weakness. Someone could bomb their island and neither would notice.

"Oh... god.. Oh god..." Scott repeated, unaware of his surroundings.

Virgil witnessed his usually, so in control brother, loose it in front of him and their father.

Jeff, who had heard Scott's anguished cry, had come out running, to find Scott and Virgil. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he watched his son sob so hard, his muscular frame shook. His hand were lying palms up and open on the floor, his left hand bleeding freely. Never had he seen Scott loose it that badly.

Finally, Jeff walked up to his eldest son and knelt down. With a heavy heart, he ignored the shock frozen Virgil for a few seconds. He gently pulled Scott against him so he was leaning against his shoulder and very carefully picked up his hand, so he could pick out the shards of glass.

The head of the Tracy family turned to his second eldest son Virgil, and asked quietly:" Could you get the first aid kit, son?"

"Sure dad.." Virgil answered as he came back in movement, and disappeared. To say the man wasn't shaken to the core by his elder brother's display, would be insane. The pilot and eldest Tracy brother wasn't one to cause a scene, especially one of this magnitude. But, what could you expect from a man who kept swallowing everything and didn't allow it to come out? Well, it did come out, eventually. And when it did, it promised to be a doozy. Scott could take a lot before he had enough.

"She was so young...!" Scott said loudly, sobbing. Pure anguish and tears tainted his normally bright blue eyes. Jeff glanced down at his eldest and felt his heart beat painfully. It was so hard to see his son like this. It was hard to see his youngest like this -god knows the youngest had a few outbursts like that after he became a rescuer-, but his eldest,... To see his eldest in so much pain was too much to take.

"She was so damn young.." Scott whispered, his sobbing slowing, and exhaustion seemingly taking it's place.. The adrenaline of his fit died down, and the hurt in his hand started to become deeper.

Virgil returned with the first aid kit and put it down beside his father.

Jeff took another look at Scott's hand, and was relieved that his oldest son hadn't managed to crush the glass so, that he needed stitches. He looked at the first aid kit next, and deduced that the younger man's hand did need to be tended too. Unfortunately, Jeff had his hands full of Scott Carpenter Tracy. He nodded at the kit and then at Virgil, indicating that he was gonna have to do it. His second eldest son looked at little lost at the thought though.

"Just do it, Virgil. Pretend your Scott." Jeff smiled as Virgil did, remembering the times Scott had to patch him up, or any other of his other younger brothers when they had fallen, been in a scrap or just plainly hurt themselves. He couldn't count on one hand how many times Scott had to do it.

Virgil took the tweezers out of the first aid kit and picked residual pieces of glass out of the older man's hand. He then poured some iodine on a bandage, and pressed it against Scott's bleeding, but glassfree, palm without warning him.

The darkhaired pilot hissed as the sting travelled trough the appendage.. He bit back the moan that threatened to pass his lips. He had embarrassed himself enough with his fit.

"Sorry, Scotty.." Virgil muttered, focused on the task at hand. He patted Scott on the thigh with his free hand and then pressed the cloth back on his palm. The older man only flinched slightly this time.

"That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever done.." Scott whispered with a watery smile. He had to admit that he did feel better now that the weight of the loss had been lifted a little off his shoulders..

"I'll say.." Jeff muttered, "And here I was thinking you were the sensible one.." He teased, getting another watery smile of his eldest son, and a laugh from his second eldest.

"What made you do this, son?" Jeff asked, as he glanced down at his son, sprawled against him lazily._ It has been a while since he cried this hard, and around me no less.._ Jeff thought. _Probably since Lucille.. After that, he never allowed anyone to see him cry anymore.._

Of all his sons, Scott was the most prone to getting a breakdown one day. All of his other sons had ways of letting their frustrations go. Virgil would either play the piano real loud, or paint, John would find means to talk about it, either with Scott or with Virgil, Gordon would swim like crazy, and Alan, Alan raced until he threatened to fall asleep behind the wheel. Scott just sucked it all up, just like his father... Who ever said like father like son? Jeff knew he should've taught his son better then that..

Scott took a deep shuddering breath and exhaled slowly, trying to get his calm back. He was starting to feel a bit ashamed of what he did. Of losing it that badly in front of his father and Virgil. What would they think of him now? The 'big tough field commander' wasn't as tough as he would've liked..

When he finally regained his cool, he started explaining why he did what he did. The tale slipped past his lips quickly, but not easily. To his relief though, another part of the pressure slipped off him. He felt a great deal lighter then when he came home..

"I told her to stay with me, but she was gasping like a fish on dry land! I was almost out when she stopped breathing.. I tried CPR but she wasn't responding!" No tears came this time, but the sorrow and pain was the same as before.

"It wasn't your fault, son.." Jeff muttered. "We can't expect to succeed on every mission.. Good endings are fairytales. You can't save everyone. Doesn't matter how hard you try. Doesn't even matter if its someone you love. I would have given everything to have saved your mother, but... It just wasn't in the cards..."

Virgil poured iodine on a bandage again, and proceeded to wrap it around Scott's injured hand. If all went well, he'd have no further marks, except the one on his heart and soul..

"You know Scott," Virgil muttered, as he checked his handy work, "Feeling guilty over something you had no control over is the fastest way to self destruction... We can't save everyone.. We give it our best shot, and that's the best we can do."

Suddenly, Scott got a bit red in the face, anger putting venomous words in his mouth he couldn't contain in time.. "I know that!" He shouted, "But what else should I do?! Say I'm not hurt by it?! Or that it's normal that a kid of her age died so early?! Her parents should be playing with her right now! Not going out to find a coffin for her tiny body!" Scott's blue eyes were wide and full with misery. The minute the words had slipped past his lips, he felt sorry.

Jeff ran a hand trough Scott's dark mane and muttered:" Of course it isn't normal, I don't expect you to think so. The minute you start losing those emotions, we should be worried.. "

Jeff looked at his eldest.. Always taking care of the rest. It had been that way since Lucile had passed away because he himself was too torn between his work and grief. It was time someone else took care of 'dad jr'.

Virgil continued his father's words, "You have to know you couldn't have done anything about it. It was just mother nature who decided it was her time to go.. We can't change that..."

Scott closed his eyes and leaned his head back against his father's shoulder. For a minute, it seemed as if he had fallen asleep. He was thinking hard.. I know damn well it wasn't my fault, but it hurts so bad.. She just... She wasn't supposed to die... She should be playing, growing up and marrying and having kids of her own.. Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, he breathed calmly, trying not to get upset again. God, he felt stupid for reacting the way he did...

Scott opened his eyes, and looked straight at Virgil. The 'brilliant blues' were back, making contact with burnt-honey colored ones.

"You're probably right.. Thanks for the talk..." The oldest Tracy brother whispered, aiming his words as well as at Virgil as at his father. "And sorry for the drama scene.." He added, scratching his head, ashamed.

Virgil and Jeff both just smiled, forgiving him already. Jeff voiced it:" That's okay, Scott."

The pilot stood up with aid from his father, and swayed. "Oh.." He whispered. He felt dizzy and he had a headache, either with the booze that was running trough his system or all the crying.. Probably both..

Virgil immediately sprang to his feet to keep Scott up. "Too much to drink, Scotty?" he muttered knowing full well he had helped the man get drunk.

"You know that's your fault.." Scott slurred. Before he knew it, Virgil let him go, and he was falling over. Virgil rescued him before he could fall just by leaning over and throwing Scott over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He heard Scott giggle behind his back, making him roll his eyes at his father, who laughed.

The darkhaired pilot of Thunderbird 1 muttered something inarticulate and double-tongued that sounded like goodnight, and then hung his head. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to finally drift off.

"Good night, father." Virgil said, and walked off after his father wished him good night as well.

The second oldest of the Tracy brothers put Scott to bed and -with a smile- tucked him in like a child. "Let someone take care of you for once, Scooter." He said as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

The pilot moaned something in his sleep, and Virgil smiled again while brushing a ringlet of dark hair from his older brother's face. The teartracks were evident on his tanned cheeks, but Virgil was glad they were there. Scott had to open up more often, he was exhausting his own mental state. Virgil hadn't been surprised when Scott had said IR wasn't doing his sanity any good. Sucking it up like a man wasn't always good, as Scott had experienced time and time again. It was funny how he forced his younger brothers to talk about their problems, but when it came to himself, he was unable to even speak a word about it.

The older man moaned again, and Virgil put his hand on Scott's shoulder. The other man reacted in such a way, it left the younger man motionless with surprise. Scott curled up, and put his head on Virgil's lap, while still sleeping.

If anyone ever said his brother was heartless, and only ordering his brothers around, Virgil would have to knock some sense into the person. He looked down upon his brother, and saw a very vulnerable man. That had him shocked earlier when Scott cried so hard on the balcony. The vulnerability of the other man. Virgil was used to a in control Scott, a calm Scott, not a panicked, out of control one.. It had probably been a good thing their father had showed up, and not Alan, or Gordon. They looked up to their older brother.

"Want me to stay, Scott?" Virgil muttered, not expecting an answer. He shifted until he was lying beside Scott above the blankets, and smiled when Scott did the rest. Scott rolled over, crawled up to Virgil's side and put his head on his younger brother's chest. Running a hand trough his brother's wavy dark hair, Virgil closed his eyes, allowing himself sleep too, needing it badly after the whole ordeal.

Later on, Jeff checked on Scott, and found Virgil with him. Both were sleeping peacefully. Jeff even thought he spotted a smile on his eldest's lips.

Closing the door of Scott's room, he went to his own bed, and fell asleep in no time, knowing his sons had each other to confide in, and help.

♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂♠♣♥♦♪♫☺☻☼♀♂

AN: -Wasn't that a doozy:P I hope this wasn't over the top :s

-I think I'd respond like Scott, I have the tendency to keep certain things to myself too, but I luckily have never been trough these kinds of things :p (:o) I think I'd respond similar, except for the glass crushing. I'd probably throw something, preferably real big and satisfying to throw, something that would crash real nice (:O :P) and then cry real hard. :s

-If you don't like it, please keep your flames. :o Constructive comment would be okay though :P

-Is it obvious I like Scott first, and Virgil second:P

-There is a faint mention of someone's else's story in there, and I hope to god he/she doesn't mind.

* * *

Juud18


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